The Soquel Knights will face off against the San Lorenzo Valley Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Soquel is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.
Soquel took a seven-run defeat the last time they faced off against Leigh, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Knights had just enough and edged out the Longhorns 7-6.
Jake Escalante was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Connor Corlett
04/11/25 @ Leigh | 3 |
04/04/25 vs Harbor | 1 |
03/28/25 vs Aptos | 1 |
03/22/25 @ Leland | 1 |
03/15/25 @ Westmont | 1 |
Escalante wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Connor Corlett, who scored three runs while going 2-for-2. Those three runs gave Corlett a new career-high.
Meanwhile, San Lorenzo Valley can bid farewell to their seven-game losing streak thanks to their game on Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 16-5 margin over North Salinas. The Cougars' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Like Soquel, San Lorenzo Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Dominic Aguilar. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. Aguilar has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-3. He also brought in an RBI, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Jaden Shabry and Larrabee Mitchell did most of the damage at the plate: Shabry scored four runs and stole two bases while going 4-for-4, while Mitchell went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, five RBI, and one double. That double was Mitchell's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Spencer Bruce, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
San Lorenzo Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .467. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in four consecutive matchups.
Soquel pushed their record up to 14-1 with the win, which was their eighth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for San Lorenzo Valley, their win bumped their record up to 2-10.
Soquel's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Knights have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for San Lorenzo Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Soquel continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Soquel's way against San Lorenzo Valley when the teams last played back in March, as Soquel made off with a 9-1 victory. Will the Knights repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.